Louisiana sports bar hopes to open Birmingham location by years’ end

Transplants from and fans of Louisiana and its culture will soon have a vestige of The Bayou State and its charms, as a popular restaurant opens a location on U.S. 280.

Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar is set to open its second Alabama location — and first Birmingham spot — at the corner of U.S. 280 and Highway 119 in the Tattersall development by as early as the end of 2018, as the sports and Creole themed restaurant expands further throughout the South.

Walk-On’s began in 2003, when Brandon Landry and Jack Warner opened the restaurant after meeting and playing basketball together as walk-on players at Louisiana State University.

A little over 15 years and nearly two dozen open or planned locations later, the sports-themed bar became a deep south empire.

Birmingham franchise manager Matt Roth joined the team as the company looked to expand into Alabama, following a career in equipment and environmental management in the Gulf region.

Roth said that his wife was already traveling to Birmingham from Lafayette, Louisiana, once or twice a year for work when the opportunity to get in on Walk-On’s franchising came knocking, so the location was an obvious choice for his family.

With Birmingham being the largest sports market in the state, it was also an obvious choice for the company, he said.

“Being in the middle of Auburn, [University of] Alabama and UAB, we just thought that [Birmingham] would be a great location for a Walk-Ons,” Roth said.

Walk-On’s has spent the last few years perfecting its culinary strategy, Roth said, and its Louisiana offerings like boudin, crawfish etouffee and seafood gumbo sell out regularly at its existing locations.

“Everything is just off the charts really-really good,” he said.

In addition to its Cajun fare, Walk-On’s will have the standard offerings of any sports bar, such as burgers, wings and fries, but will also have fine-dining options like seared tuna. 

And while Walk-On’s is billed as a sports bar, Roth said that customers shouldn’t expect a predominantly male customer base. In fact, it’s a nearly 50-50 split of men and women at any given time.

“Because of the quality of the food, on any given day you’ll see a table of 8 women going there for lunch,” he said. “I think it reflects the quality.”

In Louisiana, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees partners with Walk-On’s, but the Birmingham location’s claim to sports fame will come in the form of partnerships with John Parker Wilson, a former University of Alabama quarterback and Hoover High School alum, and PGA golfer Smylie Kaufman, who is from Vestavia Hills.

“We’re looking to sort of make a splash with these guys that have played sports,” Roth said.

Once the Hoover-280 location is open, Roth said the company has already begun plans to open two to three additional restaurants over the next three to five years.

For more information, visitwalk-ons.com.